#nonspeaking link

[hylianmewmew]

maybe i do: ch 7 gay gossip and giggles

read ch 6 here ♡ read ch 8 here

Link didn’t wake up for nearly a full day after yet another helpless meltdown in front of Sidon. There was an awkwardness and vulnerability Link had always felt trying to open up to people. This, until now, was something only Zelda could do, make him feel safe and like he was going to be ok. But now Sidon was there too. This almost felt like a betrayal against Zelda, something that could break their tight bond. Yet Link didn’t see it like that. Sidon filled in a different shaped hole in his heart. A gaping wound that had gone unnoticed until the shark Zora had reappeared in his life. 

He now did believe that Sidon was a close friend before he had lost whatever memories they shared together. How could he not have been, Sidon was so friendly and loving to everyone, he was kind and gentle. Link had been so alone and lost in his own nightmare before feeling the urge to come to Lanayru. He still had solitude, that wouldn’t change. But the ability to even just observe the presence of other people around him was a comfort he didn’t know he needed. 

Sidon really was a great friend. Link knew they had fought together as champion and hero during the fight against Calamity Ganon but he thought that was it with their interactions. Link learned from Sidon that they had met when he traveled to the Domain with Zelda to meet with Sidon’s older sister, Princess Mipha. While Zelda, Link, and Mipha discussed their plans on fighting Ganon, Sidon would eavesdrop on the meeting in order to catch the trio as they exited so he could distract them from the stress for a little while. This often included long expeditions around the Domain and floating down the rivers. Link wished he remembered this, he wished he remembered so much of his past. The 100 year coma had wiped nearly everything from his memory. He had even less now than before he had fought Ganon. Like that bastard had sucked up all the treasured memories he had recovered. The effects of that battle still raged against Link both physically and mentally. 

Link shuffled into the living area, he felt like absolute shit. His head was pounding, his eyes stung from puffiness and saliva scratched his sore throat each time he swallowed. How long had he been asleep? This time he remembered what had happened during the flashback and by the gods he wished he didn’t. Link’s stomach grumbled so much it hurt, damn he must’ve been asleep for quite awhile. Sweet Hylia. Sidon. 

Sidon was curled up on the loveseat yet again. This time felt different, Link’s heart twinged with guilt. He remembered sobbing, with each breath the sobs racked his body, chest heaving in anguish. His eyes had stung from the mass amount of tears as he clung onto Sidon for dear life. He remembered fleeting images of Zelda flooding his mind, how much he had failed her. Both as her knight and her best friend.

But Sidon.

He didn’t seem to care about anything other than making sure Link felt safe. Sidon had stroked Link’s hair, his fingers running through it in an effort to soothe the Hylian as he let out every painful emotion his body had refused to let go of. And there lay Sidon, the best thing that had happened to Link since losing Zelda.

Sidon stirred, as if sensing Link’s awakening. He smiled softly, his voice still gruff from sleep. “Good morning sunshine, feel any better?”

Link blushed, his ears and cheeks heating up, but snapped his attention to the window. It was dark. He tried to connect the dots, it had been mid afternoon when they were in the stables. So maybe. Just maybe he hadn’t slept that long. Link had such bad insomnia and was a light sleeper, he was used to going longer periods without sleep or waking up exhausted. Surprisingly, despite the pains in his body and the visceral embarrassment he felt from breaking down for the second time in just a week. 

He turned his gaze back to Sidon, raising an eyebrow. “But it’s dark. Definitely not morning. What time is it? How long was I asleep?” He signed bluntly, stiff from aching pain.

This jolted Sidon awake, he slowly looked up to the clock on the wall. He didn’t remember when he succumbed to sleep, Sidon had stayed awake for at least a day, keeping an eye on Link, only leaving to grab more work as he anxiously powered through it all. “You were asleep for at least a day and a half. I stayed up for most of that but I don’t remember when I finally slept.” He pressed a finger to his lips in thought. “Regardless! I’m glad you’re feeling better!”

“Song. You sang a song for me didn’t you?” Link’s ears twitched, he remembered getting flashbacks about Zelda and his ocarina. It was gone, she was gone. His past, gone. 

“I. Yes! I hummed a– Zora lullaby to you…” Sidon rubbed the back of his neck, his face flushed teal. “Not like a child though! It’s simply. Well. I panicked when I saw you so distressed and soothing you with a lullaby. I apologize if that makes you uncomfortable.” Sidon slightly bowed apologetically. 

“No, it was,” He paused, “nice.” Link’s small smile lit up the room, filling Sidon with relief. Gods Link had an amazing smile.

Link shuffled to the kitchenette still groggy and pulled out things to make breakfast. He didn’t care what time it was, he wanted breakfast. He turned around and tried to grab Sidon’s attention, who was staring out the window deep in thought. Link snapped his fingers, slightly annoyed which made Sidon jump. “Food?” 

Sidon had recovered from being startled and nodded slowly, “But I feel bad that you always make the food. Can I help?”

Link shrugged and nodded, immediately turning back to the stove. He flipped the food in his skillet with such skill Sidon couldn’t help but gasp in awe. 

“Where did you learn to cook so well?” Sidon had grabbed one of the peppers that was sitting on the counter and began to chop. He struggled to cut the cubes small enough.

Link looked over and rolled his eyes before grabbing Sidon’s hands and guiding him through the right knife technique. He removed his hands from Sidon’s. “I used to sneak into the palace kitchens and beg them to teach me how to cook. After that, I just kinda picked it up as a hobby. I’ve grown to love cooking more than a lot of things. It makes me feel in control.” He didn’t really know or understand how he remembered to cook after a 100 years of being asleep. Muscle memory or something like that he supposed. 

Sidon’s head tail swayed slightly, Link peered over at Sidon making sure he had gotten the hang of chopping vegetables. He exhaled in amusement, Sidon looked more like a puppy than a Zora when his head tail swayed, almost like wagging.

As they sat down to eat, Sidon’s mouth slipped into a smile, “You’re incredible, you know that right?” 

Link choked on the bite of food in his mouth. Once he stopped choking his eyes grew wider when he fully processed what Sidon had said. “What?? I’m literally anything but that.” Link scrunched his face up, his ears had lowered slightly. He didn’t think he was deserving of such a compliment, he had lost a war, the fucking princess now queen of Hyrule and gods know what else since he’d forgotten nearly his entire being. “I’m nothing, I’m the worst person to have been chosen as the hero. Just because I can hold the master sword and spoke to Hylia does NOT mean I’m capable of living up to anyone’s expectation of the hero. I’m a failure.”

That admission broke Sidon, “Link please believe me. You’re exactly the hero Hyrule needs right now! You’re compassionate and work yourself so hard to be the best version of you, you can be. Sometimes working a little too hard. You’ve never turned down a request for help and you deeply care about the people of Hyrule. You protect your friends and those who need it. You are a hero, Link.” Sidon understood how it felt to not feel worthy of the position and title you were expected to hold. He never dreamed of having to be the king, the title of ruler was meant for Mipha, not him.

Link looked away from Sidon, instead focusing on his plate. He ate slowly, contemplating what he had done to deserve Sidon’s praise. All Link had done since coming to Zora’s Domain was cry and look like such a fool. He’s had multiple full scale breakdowns in front of Sidon. Yet the king found him incredible? It didn’t make sense, Link still found himself feeling so relieved at least someone didn’t find him a failed hero and a fuck up. 

Whatever the case, Link was finding it harder and harder to find Sidon anything but endearing.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

Sidon entered the drawing room, Yona was sitting at her desk writing something. She had been hyper focused on her project at the school, helping teachers develop a better learning curriculum for the children. Since the end of the Calamity, Yona had poured all her energy into helping not only the Zora, but aiding Queen Zelda in rebuilding their world throughout all the regions. She was incredibly devoted and had such an intense passion for helping others. It was for that reason Sidon gets along with her so well. They spend hours sitting together, brainstorming ways to better the Domain. As close as he was with Yona he just didn’t know how to spill the details on his love for Link. They had often talked about their future but weren’t quite sure what to do. They were both queer but in opposing directions of attraction. Their marriage had been to connect her people, who had lived outside the Domain with the people of the Domain by way of Sidon and his family. He knew she would be fine with it, and he had a sneaking suspicion she also was in love but wasn’t going to pressure her into telling him. Sidon also knew the Zora had no qualms with same gender relationships making his eventual coming out much easier. But the marriage, as a bridge between two groups of Zora if they divorced, what would become of the bridge contract. 

And what about Link? He had no idea what Link thought about him. What if Link had no romantic feelings when Sidon’s love had been unknowingly there all along. He was ok with staying platonic with Link if that’s how Link felt towards Sidon. Everything about this was new and terrifying. Sidon has had crushes in the past but they were fleeting, not much substance to them. Nothing like Link.

“Sidon, you alright?” Yona looked up from her papers.

Sidon swallowed the lump in his throat and just went for it since they were in private. “Yona, I HAVE A CRUSH ON LINK.” He said that a little too loud, the words just spilling out of his mouth. He couldn’t control his words.

To Sidon’s shock and almost horror, Yona burst out in a gleeful cackle. “YES!! I fucking knew it! Sidon oh my gods!” This left Sidon absolutely shell-shocked. Yona… knew? How? Was he that obvious? Also oh my gods Yona said the fuck word. Things were happening so, so fast. 

Yona clapped her hands before leaping up and running over to Sidon. “Oh, you must tell me absolutely everything! When did you finally realize? How long have you been crushing on him? I’m so excited!! I’ve been waiting for this day since pretty much when I first met you and Link. Oh Sidon! I was taking bets with myself when you realized how much of a big fat crush on Link you have.” She couldn’t even contain her excitement at this point which made Sidon want to hide in a hole for the rest of his life. Was he that obviously gay for Link? Clearly.

“Can we talk in our rooms? I don’t exactly want gossip leaking about this yet.” Oh my gods he said yet. Meaning he was already thinking about his and Link’s future and confessing to Link. Meaning… Yona was right. He had it bad.

Yona nodded curtly, “Of course, let me put away my things. I actually have something to tell you too!!”

 ⟡ ⟡ ⟡

Sidon pulled some thick blankets from one of the linen closets which were hardly used other than for Sidon and Yona gossip time. He made a little blanket nest on the floor for him and Yona so they could catch up on apparently a lot of gay shit.

“Ok! So my dearest Sidon. Spill!” Yona looked so thrilled this is what her evening was going to consist of.

And spill Sidon did, leaving none of his feelings for Link out of the picture. “One time, when he and the then Princess Zelda were visiting the Domain, Mipha forced me to show Link around by ourselves while she and Zelda talked about important topics that Link wasn’t needed for. Link taught me how to use Hylian sign so we could talk with each other. I have to admit, I was a terrible learner. But it made me feel so special. Here he was taking his own rare freetime to teach me how to understand him. I think it started then, I had never felt so– noticed in a way that wasn’t just as the little brother to the crown princess outside of my family.”

Yona shook him violently, “Sidon! You’re in so deep. I had no idea someone could be so gay!” Her eyes glimmered with intrigue, she was way too invested in this. He really had no idea someone could be this gay either. They talked for hours, laughing and spilling every gay thought they’ve ever had.

Yona grew quiet after a while, “I have a confession too. There’s this teacher at the school who’s in charge of the primary students' teaching plan. She’s stunning, and so so kind! I’ve started spending time with her outside of school and meetings. Her name is Fara and being in her company makes my heart sing! But I still think you’re gayer than I am.” She giggled at the last comment, making Sidon blush.

“I don’t think I’m that gay!” He exclaimed, Yona just gave him a side eye and playfully punched his shoulder.

[justkeepstimming]

All About AAC: A Guide to Augmentative and Alternative Communication Options!

[heros-shade-fanclub]

soooooooooo funny to me that the only fic i have on ao3 is for transformers

[neuroticboyfriend]

this is from the last post i reblogged, but here are alternatives to "going nonverbal" or "going nonspeaking:"

verbal shutdown

loss of speech / speech loss

situational speech loss

if anyone knows any others, feel free to add on. if you don't understand why alternatives are needed, please see the linked post; it's a long one which is why i made another post with the alternatives, but even just reading part of it shows you why.

be kind to your neurodivergent and disabled peers.

[magz]

ID: Black cat laying down as 3 black kittens suckle on her. End ID.

Magz unexpectedly become responsible for abandoned stray cat, who gave birth around Magz's water heater (?) outside. (pet shelter full)

Magz mentally n physically disable black mixed person in "third world", in neurology treatment. Magz became nonspeak* and full-time AAC user, from degenerative condition.

If want help (optional, only do if can):

Added a few pet supply and helpful disability items to wishlist.

Magz have art commission open and pay links. (new links)

ko-fi and commissions + pay pal + wishlist

Previous Magz dono posts context: [December 2022] [March 2023]

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

“unreliably speaking” is coined by & for & popularized by nonspeaking (autistic) people with apraxia of speech and/or full body apraxia to describe a very specific experience. *see note at the end

it’s coined to describe the apraxic experience of brain body disconnect. it’s like your body have a mind of its own. someone with unreliable speech will be able to verbally speak (technically) but the words dont always match what they want to and meant to say. some unreliably speaking people may even have a lot of speech! but they often don’t mean to say some or many of the words.

unreliably speaking people either don’t have at all or struggle with having functional communication through their mouth. (because of that, some unreliably speaking people [ those whose everything or almost everything they say they don’t mean] do also call themselves nonspeaking because they don’t have functional verbal/mouth communication.)

an simpler example of this is when asked “is the sky blue,” an apraxic unreliably speaking person may answer “no” when they mean “yes.” but the unreliably spoken words can be more complex than that, like phrases and even sentences.

however, unreliably speaking does not mean you can speak sometimes but can’t the other, or you don’t know when you’ll have speech because sometimes you lose it.

the word you’re looking for is intermittent speech, or intermittently speaking. “losing speech” is more common.

i’ve seen people make this mistake a lot, some by both verbal & nonverbal/nonspeaking people. sometimes people use it by mistake when they’re trying to avoid another mistake (the mistake is using “nonverbal”/“going nonverbal” to mean losing speech). i try to assume good faith because of that since it’s clear they’re listening to nonverbal nonspeaking people.

“definitions change 🙃” this is an important distinction because misusing terms leads to misunderstanding and harm people with actual unreliable speech. it puts more work on the apraxic unreliably speaking person having to explain over and over again. it’s important for unreliably speaking people to have a word of their own that precisely describe their experience without other external people without similar experience diluting or changing the definition.

.

*the link cited heavily bashes the term nonverbal but i want to emphasize that some people who do not speak do prefer nonverbal. it’s up to individual who don’t speak’s preference.

** nonverbal & nonspeaking meaning all the time only.

(i don’t know if this made sense, idk why i’m talking so formal right now i’m sorry if this is hard to read)

[birdofmay]

Consider this a "Master-masterpost" about autism and terminology

(written by an early diagnosed nonverbal higher support needs autistic, meaning that I can only write about what I know. This is about a medical perspective because the medical perspective is my everyday life. It can sound pathologizing, but all I want to do is explain terms and some history)

"Ok, I read that, but what should I say for the situation when I suddenly can't speak anymore?"

- Common are "speech loss" or "verbal shutdown", but here is a big list with suggestions:

"Why do people still talk about severity when it comes to autism? Why do NTs always want to categorise us?" - a double link

"Everyone is talking about autism levels. Are support needs the same as autism levels? What are support needs about?"

- there's a TL;DR if you want a quick answer:

And please remember that a lot of different countries, and therefore many different diagnostic manuals, educational systems, and experiences clash on Tumblr.

And yes, doctors, psychologists, and teacher aides can make mistakes. They can use incorrect words. They can have outdated views. Don't think just because it's their job, that they know absolutely everything about autism and that they're always up to date. They only know what they learned, and especially what's relevant for their job. And many unfortunately don't make an effort to understand the whole autism spectrum, they're specialised in one particular group of us and may have a vast knowledge there, but not on the rest of the spectrum.

Oh, and by the way, this here is an addition to my nonverbal/nonspeaking masterpost because I can't add more links to it:

The r-slur debate as always.... Here is a post with a great reblog that explains what "trying to reclaim it when you can't" actually means between the lines:

[linktotheheart]

I'm in abject adoration with the whole "signing Link" headcanon. Whether he's d/Deaf, nonspeaking, both... idc it's so good. No TOTK spoilers, just hcs that mention the TOTK Ganondorf without any canon details about him

AND it's spawned so many spinoff hcs.

Like, one of my fave villain types is 'oh yeah I'm massively evil and murder people but I draw the line at bigotry' so most iterations of Ganondorf ABSOLUTELY know Hylian sign in my hc. TOTK Ganondorf knows either ancient Hylian sign or Zonia or Sheikah sign but he and Link manage through some shared signs

Each of the races have their own language too. Goron sign language is the simplest. A lot of fists, lot of pounding, it's actually partially based in rhythm/vibrations that most others don't pick up on, but it's also mostly about rock/mining related stuff, same as the goron spoken language xD

Rito language on the other hand is based on the subtlest of angle changes of the wing. This is because it's meant to be able to be used on the fly, pun intended, and their sharp eyesight allows them to see even these minute changes over great distances. Hylians and Gorons struggle to grasp this, but Zora and surprisingly Gerudo pick it up fairly easily.

Now Zora, like Rito, are essentially operating in a all-dimensional environment a lot of the time, when swimming. Their sign language is designed to be understandable from any direction, but because of distortion underwater, relies on large gestures and motion for much of this.

And finally, Gerudo. Not much to say here. It's about as different from Hylian sign as all the others, despite the spoken languages having a common ancestor (think BSL and ASL). There's not a lot of words for stuff related to men, and when needed they'll just combine the sign for "voe" with the specific thing.

Also, another hc besides the common ancestor language for the spoken language that also applies to sign - young boys are called "vai" by Gerudo until they hit their races equivalent of adulthood. Before then they are allowed within city walls, though are often treated with less leniency if they misbehave.

[senshis-top-surgery]

If you love Laios and Falin for their autistic swag, please do this autistic a favour and go follow some actually autistic creators

Tumblr is a good format for nonverbal and nonspeaking autistics, @nonspeakingkiku is one who was okay with me linking to fae's blog.

Check the tag "actually autistic" for autistic creators talking about their experiences. Everyone I'd different - autism is a spectrum not like 1-10, but, to use an analogy Laios would enjoy, like a sundae bar. Different base flavours, different toppings, etc. It's good to follow lots of different people with different lives and feelings because it helps you remember that we're all different people

Shaiden is an adorable kid who shares his experience as a higher support needs black autistic kid

https://www.instagram.com/breakwithshaiden?igsh=MTdhbjJzOTlydDVnYg==

This creator is low support needs and very good at discussing differences in experiences, as well as making just funny little videos.

https://www.instagram.com/reberrabon_bon?igsh=OXd1cGp3cXR3NDFl

Autistic and ADHD creator and his Autistic ADHD mum who share their experiences

https://www.instagram.com/toren.wolf?igsh=aWFvYTNrNWU1NjBp

YouTube has a lot and your mileage may vary. While I say follow lots of different people, but watch out for people who don't mention intellectually disable autistics or talk about autism like we're the next step in human evolution (we're not mutants from x-men, no matter how much I try and control the weather like Storm)

And of course, there's me. @mousetaur is my main and @sea-chest is a side blog that has more heavy political discussions (and our flag means death stuff)

I really like that this anime gives us a jumping off point to spread more awareness, understanding and, hopefully, acceptance.

[hylianmewmew]

maybe i do: ch 3 the rice bowl to my heart

read ch 2 here ♡ read ch 4 here

Sidon led Link on a brief tour of the inner Domain, having to stop every now and then to greet the Zora people and allow the children to ask the dozens of questions they had for the great hero. Link signed slowly so Sidon could translate what he was explaining to the children. This warmed Link’s heart if he was being completely honest, while he had no memories of his childhood there was a large probability he was just as curious but he wasn’t sure if he was just as chatty as these little ones.

Throughout the small interactions Link had with the entire inner Domain it seemed he caught glances of Sidon beaming. He couldn’t help but smile too, it seemed the King’s cheerful demeanor brightened the moods of everyone around him. 

Sidon turned to Link, “I have something to show you! Come with me!” Sidon set off at a brisk pace that to be completely honest Link had issues keeping up with. Despite the King’s shorter legs he had absolutely no issue out pacing Link. They climbed several flights of ornately decorated marble stairs. The air was sweet and crisp, water lilies dotted the surface of a pond. In the center, a statue of a Zora woman posing elegantly with a trident held between both hands.

“We moved Mipha’s statue to Ploymus Rock. I felt that she needed a more dedicated spot after my father suggested dedicating the square to a statue of you and I.” Sidon again, rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at Link. 

Link’s heart dropped, he knew he should know who Mipha is or was. He assumed the latter, having noticed a Royal circlet adorning her head. If she hadn’t been spoken about during breakfast she must not be alive any longer. He didn’t know this for certain, but he had a sinking feeling in his chest. He inhaled sharply and waved his hand to grab Sidon’s attention in order to ask who she was. Link didn’t recall who she was but he had a feeling he should. 

“Who?” Link paused, choosing his words delicately. “Did I know her?” He braced himself for a very bad reaction, there was something in his brain that told him this was someone he knew. Probably very closely.

Sidon jumped, clearly not expecting this question. “Oh! Uh, that would be my dear sister, former crown princess and a champion. Who valiantly fought beside you in the original Calamity and then again aiding you as a spirit to defeat Ganon! I thought that you had regained your memories of her and the other champions of the past?” His face sunk ever so slightly, clearly trying to maintain his composure.

“I’m not sure why but recently the memories I regained have been fading again. I wish I knew why. I remember emotions better than actual events. I can guess she was someone I was close with? I apologize for not remembering your sister. She died because of me didn’t she?” Link sighed, his face scrunched together in distress. He recently had been making an effort to be more emotive with his face. Before, his stoic expressions left people annoyed by his lack of outward emotion only made worse by his inability to speak freely. He wanted people to like him as a person, not just as the proclaimed savior of Hyrule. 

Sidon gave Link a gentle look. “Dear friend, I had no idea. I apologize for my brief distress. I had no idea you were still struggling with your memory so severely.”

Link’s ears drooped involuntarily, he definitely didn’t want to tell Sidon that he had no idea they were friends, let alone close enough for Link to be called Sidon’s dear friend. Link cursed himself for his shitty brain for making him lose the memories he thought he had recovered for good. There was an ache inside him, a yearning to remember what he had lost, hopefully not forever.

Sidon tilted his head to the side, clearly concerned about Link which made him feel even more guilty. Link knew it wasn’t technically his fault his memories were being lost but fuck, it truly felt like everything Sidon was feeling about this entire situation was the blood on LInk’s hands. 

“Link,” Sidon started. “I can see your upset about not remembering Mipha. However, I assure you she would not be upset. You’ve been through more than anyone else can possibly imagine. If the memories return, fantastic but if they don’t please don’t blame yourself. There are things the brain does that no one can control.”

Link nodded curtly not wanting to worry Sidon further. “If it’s alright with you I’d like to spend the rest of the day alone. I also need to go check on Epona…” It’s not like Link was trying to escape Sidon completely, there was just a lot going on in his head and he needed some time alone to process. He also wasn’t used to spending this much time around others, particularly public figures. It had been about two years since Link returned to Hyrule without Zelda. There was no sign of Ganon but that doesn’t mean he’s gone for good. If that was the case there wouldn’t be a need for the hero to reincarnate in the time of Hyrule’s need. 

“Of course Link, I’m sorry I didn’t even think of that. You had mentioned spending the past two years almost completely in seclusion. I’m sure all this Royal fanfare has been quite exhausting for you. If it wouldn’t be a further bother I would still like to invite you to dinner. It will just be my father, Yona and I but we would love to have you to dine if you would like. No expectation for you to show up of course. With that being said I’ll leave you to your own devices but please, if you need anything at all come find me and I’d be happy to help.” 

Link signed a quick thank you and made a beeline to the stables. It was late afternoon at this point and while the stable attendants had most likely been taking great care of his beloved horse there was an almost certain chance Epona was going to be moody when Link showed up late by her standards. Sure enough, Epona spotted Link and gave him a frustrated huff, turning her head away from her rider. Link smiled, gods he loved this horse and all her quirks. He had been lightly teased by stable attendants in the past about how he treated Epona like one would a moody teenager. In all technicalities Epona was older than most horses which would make her more of a cranky grandma than a teen working through their emotions. Regardless Link loved her like he would a child, tending to her with such care in order to show her his love. Epona quickly recovered from her tantrum when she eyed Link’s hands which carried the specialty feed that was her absolute favorite sometimes to the point where she wouldn’t eat any other feed. Dramatic as always, Link cleaned up her pen and waited for her to eat her fill before brushing her. He ran the brush through her mane gently to avoid tugging at the hair. 

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

It was nearing sunset when he returned Epona to the stables after a quick ride through the outer parts of the Domain. Link toyed with the idea of accepting Sidon’s invite for dinner with his family. But Link was exhausted from his journey here and the whirlwind of activities he had attended in the past 2 days. There was a kitchenette in the guest rooms he had been given so there wasn’t even a need to talk to the attendants if he just quickly grabbed his own ingredients from outside. He thought for a moment before deciding on a recipe, fortunately being surrounded by wetlands, one of the Zora’s staple foods was rice. Link found this interesting as he assumed that Zora wouldn’t eat grains or really any plant based foods. Regardless he was on his way back to his guest rooms with an armful of Hylian bass, mushrooms and stalks of wild rice. 

Link had woken up with no knowledge of remotely anything but was forced to pick up survival skills pretty fast. Praise the gods he was a quick learner. Cooking however, was special. He loved being able to put ingredients together in whatever combination he felt sounded good and was able to make something delicious. The sounds and smells of a good meal made him feel just a little bit better at the end of the day. It was well past sunset before Link finally sat down to eat. He had taken his time cooking the bass to make sure it was flaky and moist. He’d just made a simple mushroom and fish rice bowl but it was still delicious. As he began shoveling the food into his mouth there was a soft knock at the door. Link jumped at the sudden noise and quickly got up, mouth still full of food to see who was knocking. He peeked out the door to see Sidon standing awkwardly in front of the door.

“I couldn’t help but notice the amazing smells coming from your rooms. I hope I’m not being too forward by asking if I could sample whatever you’re making? No worries if you would rather continue to eat alone. I feel quite rude asking this but I was worried about you after our talk at MIpha’s Court. I just wanted to make sure you were feeling alright, I don’t really understand what it must feel like but I do want you to know I’m here as a shoulder to lean on if you ever need it.” Link noticed the slightest tinge of teal dusting Sidon’s empathetic face. Swallowing his bite of food, Link gestured for Sidon to come in. He figured it would be rude to deny the motherfucking Zora King from personally dining with him. Plus, maybe Sidon could critique the recipe given it was Link’s newest creation only having thought of the spice combo a couple weeks ago. It wasn’t super outrageous but goron spice and brown sugar he knew wasn’t for everyone.

“Well I guess I’m glad I made more than enough for me. It’s a simple dish but I think it’s good. Mushrooms, Hylian bass, brown sugar and goron spice are the main ingredients. I’ll warn you now it’s pretty spicy because that’s how I like it.” Link filled a bowl for Sidon and added some herbs as a garnish. Handing him the bowl, Link returned to his spot on the loveseat that was positioned across from the lounge chair Sidon was sitting in. He waited for Sidon to take his first bite, curious if this dish was Link approved only or if others actually liked it.

Sidon started fanning his open mouth after having swallowed his first bite. “Hotttt!!!!” To Link’s surprise Sidon went in for another few bites before declaring, “Oh my goddess this is delicious!! It’s so spicy but the brown sugar helps cool it down. Usually I hate spicy foods but this. This is fantastic!”

Link broke out into a grin, “Good, glad you like it.” They finished their food in relative silence. It was a comfortable sort of silence, one that Link reveled in. He did feel that creeping guilt surface again, like there was a huge revelation deep beneath the surface of the glassy pond in Link’s psyche. There was always something nice about another person enjoying the foods that he made. So much of his life was spent alone, he woke up from 100 years alone, after the Calamity the champions returned to their respective regions he was left alone as they, along with Zelda rebuilt the broken, wartorn Hyrule. Link was a warrior, a knight, a protector. With the newfound peace, Zelda allowed Link to semi-retire with the stipulation he added that he was allowed to return to her side whenever he or Zelda felt he was needed for any reason. Zelda dove head first into her duties as Queen as well as researching everything to do with the Calamity to attempt to prevent it happening again.

This left Link with far less to do than he was used to. He attempted to keep himself busy to chase away the thoughts. But they were still there, floating around his head no matter what he did. He eradicated hundreds of monster camps Blood Moon after Blood Moon. Violence was a cruel comfort, something he’d partaken in so often it was more than second nature. The clang of metal against metal, the hisses of pain he made as a monster managed to get a hit on him, the blood curdling battle cries of various types of monsters. He hated how much he enjoyed it. Yes, feelings of victory and pride for surviving another day but Link knew his emotions were darker than that.

Link nearly jumped out of his seat at the sound of Sidon clearing his throat. “I apologize for the disruption in your deep thoughts but I wanted to ask you something if that’s alright with you.” Link was concerned where this might go, his mind already starting to spiral downwards and his heart beginning to pick up speed. “What have you been doing since, well… you know. Zelda. I’ve heard snippets of rumors on where you’ve been but you turned into quite the elusive one. But truly! I would love to hear about your recent life.”

Link didn’t really know what to say or where to start. “Well I’ve been helping out on monster extermination raids, but mostly sticking to myself. Fighting for me is easier when I don’t have others I need to worry about. If that makes me selfish, fuck it I guess.” Sidon nodded eagerly, reading his hand movements effortlessly. Due to Link’s primary usage of Hylian sign language the champions and power figures of each region took to learning sign as a sign of respect for the hero. This gesture took to many others, it even becoming a trend to learn Hylian sign as a way to connect to Hyrule’s non-speaking hero. Purah and Zelda were of great help, expanding the teaching of Hylian sign to every corner of Hyrule. Despite the kindness he knew this was based on, it frustrated him that everyone had to go out of their way to understand him. He was used to snide comments about him being non-speaking and knew this wave of support for Hylian sign would benefit so many people who used it as their primary communication method. Purah had also gone out of her way to develop a program on his Sheikah slate that read whatever he typed out on it out loud. Thinking about all this made Link miss the woman, he hadn’t visited her in quite some time as she was busy with Zelda until her disappearance when Link went into complete seclusion. Until now.

Sidon gently probed Link for more info about himself to which Link begrudgingly obliged to. ��Mostly I’ve been everywhere. Epona and I have been pretty much all over Hyrule. I came here from Faron grasslands. Was there for 3 or 4 months.” Link began to relax and open up to Sidon. As they chatted Link felt a strangely familiar warming comfortable feeling creep up on him. He couldn’t place why he suddenly felt like this but it was nice.

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

Link woke up again to the glaring sun, this time on the floor? He knew he moved a lot in his sleep but shit, falling off the bed was a new development for him. Grumbling to himself about badly his back and shoulders hurt and he was offered a bed but somehow his dumbass subconsciously decided the floor was more comfortable despite how it made his old injuries flare up. He continued to quietly complain to himself, pulling the comforter he had brought with him into the living space tighter around his body. Thank the gods for whoever had stocked the kitchenette with plenty of ingredients to make whatever he pleased. As he prepped himself some breakfast Link remembered he hadn’t cleaned up from last night and turned to the couch to grab the dishes. On the couch however, laid Sidon still fast asleep and snoring away not seeming to care he was too big for the couch. 

Link shrugged and picked up the bowls but taking care not to make much noise. It wasn’t that hard to keep quiet, not like he was gonna blab away. He actually had to make an effort to make at least a little noise so as to not scare the absolute shit out of everyone he approached from out of sight. He remembered Zelda joking about how cat-like he was and how maybe she should make him wear a bell just so she could hear him coming. As much as that comment pissed him off in the moment it was silly banter with her that made his heart ache so hard. Here he was wallowing in self pity while he had no idea whether Zelda was dead or alive and that killed him inside more than he realized.

Link just chose to make spinach omelets, he was still tired from last night. He wasn’t sure how long he and Sidon stayed up just talking. Link had shared some of his antics from before he and Zelda’s disappearances. This had sparked several memories of he and Zelda as children, back from when Link had first been assigned to be Zelda’s personal knight. They must’ve been around 11 and 13, Link being a few years older than Zelda. It was just snippets of memories but their giggles and playful banter still rang in his ears. Fuck he missed her, missed his best friend, the person he thought of as his closest family closer than maybe his blood relatives. His bio family he had no memories of, he didn’t know anything about them. Not even if he had any siblings or how many parents he had. Shockingly that didn’t bother him as much as one might think it would. It was fine, whatever they had been like didn’t matter even if he did remember since they would’ve been dead before he had even woken up.

Link sat down gingerly, his back and shoulders still in protest from accidentally sleeping on the floor for probably most of the night. He had gotten halfway through his omelet when Sidon began to stir. Sidon groaned and stretched out his arms indirectly flexing his muscles, causing Link to inhale a bit of his half chewed bite of omelet. Partially startled out of his thoughts and partially because well, fuck the Zora King had slept on his couch and oh my gods what if Link had kept him from some important meeting and his WIFE oh gods his wife. It’s not like they got plastered or even drank anything at all. Link was just worried about appearances all of a sudden and how Queen Yona must be upset and wondering what had become of her husband since he didn’t return to their quarters last night. The tips of his ears burned from embarrassment at his mental panic. It would probably be fine, it had to be. Sidon kept calling Link his dearest friend and that must mean something right? Link did find Sidon to be very pleasant company, it was easy to talk, well sign to him. Sidon always seemed to be so enthusiastic about listening to whatever Link was talking about. He also made great puns, which Link was thrilled to find out. Gods he loved a shitty pun or just dad joke in general.

“Good morning.” Link signed, having chugged his water after the minor choking fit. “I made enough breakfast for you to have some too once I realized you were still here.” 

“Oh! Thank you kindly, I didn’t think I was so tired last night after our chats but clearly I was seeing as I couldn’t make it to my own chambers.” Sidon chuckled, he seemed slightly embarrassed about having slept on a couch in the hero’s rooms. Link figured it was for the same reasons he was embarrassed as well. Sidon sat across from Link at the small dining table, they quietly ate their omelets, both clearly exhausted from their late night talks. Sidon glanced at the time before shoving the rest of his omelet in his mouth (it was only 2 bites worth but seeing a King act so ungracefully for just a brief moment made Link giggle) quickly thanking Link again for the food and rushing off, saying he was going to be late for a council meeting.

Link lightly exhaled in amusement and cleaned up the dishes before heading off to the stables to take care of beloved Epona. 

[perplexingluciddreams]

are you really fully nonverbal?? and if so do you use FC or any other scientifically fraudulent treatment approach.

(because others have gotten offended: I am not targeting you specifically just wary of many “nonverbal advocates” I see being paraded on this platform when their voices are very likely not their own. this is a human and civil disability rights issue and I’m wary of it spreading to Tumblr which I know as a social justice oriented platform. This is a good website about this civil rights issues https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org

Yes. In my case, I am fully permanent nonverbal from (late) regression, but growing up I was semiverbal with unreliable speech (my mouth say things that I could not control). I cannot get speech back ever, it is permanent loss.

I don’t use Facilitated Communication. But FC, RPM (Rapid Prompting Method), and S2C (Spelling to Communicate) is all methods that help some people communicate and is not “fraudulent”. I will admit I don't know anything really about FC, though.

I type my posts mostly on phone or iPad. This post is on iPad because it is longer and I need more text predict and autocorrect for that. I also have AAC device, I use in real life interaction along with basic BSL (British Sign Language).

If you are worried about nonverbal people’s voices, only thing you should do is listen to us. Especially if you are concerned about nonverbal people who use FC, listen to them and what they say. And believe in their communication.

I will always believe nonverbal/nonspeaking people who use FC/RPM/S2C, above anyone who try to discredit them and their communication methods.

“Paraded” on this platform is not nice to say. We are just people doing same thing as a lot of other people, posting on social media about our lives and interests and things that matter to us. “Voices are very likely not their own” - I know exactly about what it is like not being able to control my voice and how scary and upsetting it is, you should not compare a valid communication method to this. Also I have not seen anyone on Tumblr that use FC, that I am aware of.

I see other people answer this and go into more detail so I will spare my energy and not type any more. And I am not the best person to answer in the first place, I am just a random teenager that happen to be nonverbal. I am not advocate, I don't have all the information, I don't know enough to talk about such complicated topic.

It really seem like you just want to get other people to discredit FC, not that you are actually interested in care for nonverbal people. The fact you write “scientifically fraudulent” right away, and not even ask question in neutral way, show that. And link website that ONLY show negative side of FC, is not scientific at all. If you don't consider all sides then you cannot make a neutral and fair decision. And really is not my place or your place to decide what "count" as "valid communication".

Maybe if people is offended, you should think about why.

[heros-shade-fanclub]

Voice HCs for my Links :]

(all characters are fluent in sign language because. they are)

Wolf - speaks aloud. has his classic country accent and loves a chat, either out loud or in sign.

Fish - speaks aloud most of the time (will stop talking just to spite people, though)

Blue - nonspeaking*. signs or uses his sheikah slate/purah pad to communicate

Cloud - Deaf, nonspeaking. signs 100% of the time

Lucky - speaks aloud. hard of hearing

Ghost - selective mutism**. even in situations where he's able to speak, he prefers to sign unless he's very serious about something or very comfortable around the people he's with. speaking became very rare for him after being Stalfosed

*in-universe reason is due to a disease he contracted as an infant, which makes it very painful and difficult to use vocal cords

**a little unsure if selective mutism is the appropriate label for him but. I think it is. there are a lot of situations where he just Can't connect to his voice

[jasper-stims]

I'm thinking of starting an "Actually Autistic" amino. I'm not the biggest fan of amino itself but I love some of the features it has.

My plan would be to make it as accessible as possible and for it to have categories regarding disability representation, life skills/how-to videos, disibility activism/history, pages for stimming and special interests...

Also I'd like to use it as an opportunity to de-center verbal, low-needs, white autistics for a while. Obviously it depends on who all joins but I'd love to have some nonspeaking members, highlight perspectives from people with intellectual disabilities, and just hopefully give people an opportunity to see a less tiktok-ified version of what being autistic is like. I think people focus more on trying to be the "most correct/palatable" than actually listening to disabled/marginalized voices.

It's still definitely in the beginning stages, but if you'd like to join and make some suggestions, here's the link!

[clownrecess]

hi, i was wondering what the definition for non speaking is. i sometimes do not verbally speak for a bit, but then i’m suddenly able to speak again. i’ve seen things (like you) that say they don’t verbally speak at all, but for me it’s just little “episodes”. also please explain the difference between non verbal and non speaking, and which is a better term. thanks! i really appreciate it and hope your having a good day!

Hello! Nonspeaking/nonverbal means someone who has a permanent or extremely long lasting lack/loss of oral speech. It can not be used to describe temporary or short term experiences.

Here is a post of mine explaining better terms for speech loss episodes: Link

And here is a post of mine discussing nonverbal vs nonspeaking: Link

HOWEVER, that last link is about why I personally prefer to be called nonspeaking. Some people prefer nonverbal and that is totally valid!! There is not a "better" term, it's purely preference. If someone says they prefer one, use that one for them.

[tontoemojis]

you ABSOLUTELY can be low support needs and semiverbal! there is no one autism trait that is exclusive to one level of support or the other, support needs are how everything adds up and interacts with each other. there are autistic people with low support who are nonspeaking or nonverbal. semiverbal is a spectrum, not everyone is semiverbal for the same reasons or in the exact same way. everyones autism is different. some people are semispeaking for reasons other than autism as well, and these are their words too. liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2018.0007 this is specifically about AAC use but does go into many different experiences with being semiverbal/semispeaking and autistic.

thank you so much for this ask , I feel more validated now 🧡 . I might be semiverbal & low supports , yes , I just need to accept it & come into terms , because I think I do fit the semiverbal label .

also thank you for the link , I will be looking into it !!!

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

trying stop me brain ruminate & damage already severely disabled self health more:

block tumblr user @ / isopodcloset

[plain text: block tumblr user @ / isopodcloset ]

TL;DR: isopodcloset as someone who not nonverbal nonspeaking, speak over nonverbal autistics about things that impact nonverbal semiverbal people. when be point out cite poorly done survey as source & reason why survey poorly done, hide all people disagree from reblog & refuse acknowledge—effectively silence nonverbal people & continue spread misinformation with poorly done survey.

isopodcloset not seem want conversation or willing listen or think do wrong.

please do not direct engage w isopodcloset, do not harrass. at best, gentle correct people who reblog post who seem misled. but, best way help nonverbal people & people impacted here is reblog this spread this & block isopodcloset.

detailed what happened (under cut w source):

1. isopodcloset made this misinfo post “types of autistic speech” (linked; remember link version is edited, can see original version in reblog chain link below).

2. two nonverbal autistic people (gwydion & me) point out misinformation (both our thing can be see here linked)

3. isopodcloset respond, said add disclaimer to some but also continue speak over & not correct one misinformation by cite survey that poorly done (so cannot trust conclusion)

4. gwydion & me correct separately about how that survey poorly done. gwydion response link here. mine link here, which bullet point/numbered point out all reason why that survey should not be give platform—please read if can.

5. isopodcloset not direct respond to us since, but have hid all reblog of people who spoke against. right now, notes only full of people who agree & people who mislead by isopodcloset misinfo. poorly done survey link still up and can be reblog.

this create more labor for nonverbal people who have to correct more people misinfo, possibly mean even harassment in future.

reminder disabled people (include nonverbal people) allow be angry. some nonverbal and/or higher support needs autistic people cannot control cannot mask emotion & anger & tone. nonverbal people especially not have be all polite & cute & soft when people who not nonverbal speak over us, spread misinfo that impact us, and silence us on purpose when we point out wrong.

in case isopodcloset delete, saved my chain through wayback machine (not sure gwydion okay w me save his so did not).